Irkutsk region launches new housing programme at BAM

April 01, 2012, 5:21 UTC+3Under the programme, the region will offer 32,800 square metres of housing to 1,778 people

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IRKUTSK, April 1 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia’s Irkutsk region will start in 2012 a long-term programme to provide new housing to those living in outdated houses along the Baikal-Amur Mainline /BAM/. The programme’s cost will be over one billion 40 million roubles, the regional government reports.

“Out of this money, 521 million roubles come from the federal budget, 383.9 million – from the regional budget, and 37.2 million roubles – from municipal budgets,” the report reads.

Under the programme, the region will offer 32,800 square metres of housing to 1,778 people.

The Baikal-Amur Mainline is broad gauge railway line. Traversing Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East, the 4,324 kilometres long BAM runs about 610 to 770 kilometres north of and parallel to the Trans-Siberian railway. The BAM was built as a strategic alternative route to the Trans-Siberian Railway, especially along the vulnerable sections close to the border with China. The BAM's cost was estimated at 14 billion dollars, and it was built with special, durable tracks since much of it was built over permafrost. There are 21 tunnels, with a total length of 47 kilometres and over 4,200 bridges, with a total length of over 400 kilometres.